3/10 Tiger AMPS 276 DENTAL today

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

gigiviolet

Member Since 2014
Hi! Tiger is having his dental today, "Mom" is freaking out a little bit ;)
I wanted to post yesterday to get your thoughts beforehand...I wish there were 3 or 4 of me ;) We definitely need a nanny. Along with my kitty cat circus, I have a "special needs" 14.5 yr old dog. I'm quite crazy, but utterly harmless.

Tiger's AMPS was 276. I gave him a tsp of food and 1/4 dose Lantus (vet said give 1/2 dose, but I chickened out!). I'm more concerned about low numbers during surgery than higher ones. Note: the couple of times that we had a partial fur shot - BG dropped into 90's. Depot adjusting? If so, might 1/4 dose cause lower numbers than 1/2 dose? Thanks Lantus :)

Tiger was dx'd diabetic Feb 6th (appointment for dental, but vet wouldn't do anesthesia with high BG) based on fasting BG of 373 and being somewhat "dehydrated". (Note: he's had a chronic abscessed tooth root since November!). The vet today (not the one who dx'd Tiger) said she would never dx a cat diabetic and start insulin based solely on in clinic BG. Any expert thoughts on this? She said Tiger should have been put on a "diabetic" diet. (Referring to "prescription" diet?) I told her he's eating Weruva (Paw Lickin Chicken)(3-4% carb) and I've started making Dr. Pierson's homemade diet. This meant nothing to her...she reiterated that he needed the "diabetic" diet (and possibly doesn't need insulin).

The vet said she would do pre-anesthesia screening and give me a call before proceeding today. I reminded her to check BG, especially around +3ish when Tiger seems to nadir.

Any thoughts you can share would be genuinely appreciated. Tiger & I are so lucky to have your support and kindness.
Have a wonderful day!!
 
Hi guys .. Good luck with Tiger's dental today! I can understand your nervousness, we were with mocha as well .. I can only imagine this vet is trying to get you to put TIger on prescription dry food for diabetics .. a lot of vet's seem to push that stuff .. Have a great day!
 
Hi Gina - a vet is right not to diagnose diabetes on just one high BG number at a clinic. Cats can go higher due to stress at the vet. My civie tested almost 200 when he had to see a male vet, but tested 55 at home. However, since you've been testing Tiger at home, you know his blood sugar is not in the normal range. Vets will often suggest a fructosamine test which gives a two week average of blood sugars. You don't need that now, as you are testing at home. Vets will often push the fructosamine. Mine did the first little while, but now stops asking about it. I'm more than willing to share Neko's spreadsheet.

Don't let the vet sell you their expensive diabetic food. Some are remarkably tenacious about that. You are feeding low carb wet food - exactly the right thing to do.

Paws crossed here for good vetty results for Tiger. Don't let them give him Metacam - buprenorphine is much better for pain relief. Let us know how how it goes.
 
Wendy's right -- the stress of being at the vet's office can raise BG numbers. (Although, some cats numbers drop with stress. Go figure!)

As for the prescription food, ask the vet what the carb value is of the Rx stuff. I wonder if she even knows? (Hill's M/D is 14% carbs, Purina D/M is 3% although, it used to be higher.) If she's pushing Hill's, it's a no brainer with regard to what's lower in carbs. The big difference with Purina versus the Weruva are the ingredients.

  • Purina: Liver, poultry by-products, meat by-products, water sufficient for processing, chicken, salmon, oat fiber, salmon meal, artificial and natural flavors,
  • Weruva: Chicken (Boneless, Skinless, White Breast), Water Sufficient For Processing, Potato Starch, Sunflower Seed Oil,

Cats shouldn't get that much liver. And the #2 and #3 ingredients are animal by-products. Let's just say that I wouldn't feed my family animal by-products. On the other hand, I would feed them boneless, skinless chicken breast. "Muscle" meat is far better for a cat than by-products. Also, many cats are allergic to fish and the Purina contains salmon. FWIW, Gabby, who will eat pretty much anything, after a couple of days turned up her nose at the D/M. When I brought cases of the Rx stuff back to my vet, I got the same lecture you did. I pointed out that I could feed my cat a human grade, quality food that was lower in carbs and cost a heck or a lot less than the prescription stuff. When she realized I knew what I was talking about, she backed off. The vets make money off of selling prescription food.
 
PeterDevonMocha,
Thanks so much for wishing Tiger & I good luck today and it's very nice to meet you! Mocha is OTJ - how very exciting!!
 
i hope all went well, the BG's were ok with the anesthesia and the bad tooth is gone! Dental problems can really increase blood sugar, so you were smart to take care of that issue.

we're thinking about you tonight.

btw, that's Devon that posts, Mocha is the kitty and Peter is her husband. Devon's continued coming on here after Mocha went OTJ and she's great about encouraging people who are in the thick of the diabetes dance.

eta - i just peeked at tiger's ss and see a 92 at +12. it would probably be a good idea to skip. sometimes anesthesia can continue to lower blood sugar even in the evening. good luck tonight!
 
Gina PM'ed me earlier - extractions of 3 upper molars. Skipping is probably a good idea cause he might have troubles eating until he gets used to the missing teeth.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top